Via @helloginadarling TikTok/@aquariumpacific TikTok
A woman went to visit a pufferfish at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Here's what we know about pufferfish friendliness.
A woman met a friendly character at an aquarium in Long Beach who ended up making her day. It wasn’t a human or even a mammal. It was a pufferfish.
Gina (@helloginadarling) posted a video that received more than 356,000 views. In it, she chronicles her interactions with Captain Hook the pufferfish, a friendly fish at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.
The content creator says the pufferfish was remarkably nice. He appears to even pose for photos and videos.
What’s Special About This Long Beach Pufferfish ‘Captain Hook’?
In Gina’s video, she films Captain Hook, a pufferfish that she says is available to view at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
“Do you guys wanna know a secret about the Long Beach Aquarium that not many people know?” she says. “There is a pufferfish here that will come and take selfies with you if you sit here and push up against the glass, and he will come over. And he’ll just hang out with you, and he’ll wait for people to sit with him.”
The name appears to be a play on the pufferfish’s appearance. Captain Hook is missing one fin, as per Gina’s clip.
She continues interacting with him and praising the pufferfish as the video continues.
“He just hangs out, and he sits here, and he looks at the camera, and he looks at you,” she adds.
Neighborhood Pufferfish
In the comments section, viewers shared similar encounters with pufferfish at aquariums across the United States.
“Love these guys, the Odysea aquarium in Phoenix, AZ has one too,” a viewer said.
Another commenter added, “We have an Aquarium as well in the city of Detroit. We also have our celebrity [pufferfish]. I got this photo of him recently,” while posting a photo of a slightly oblivious-looking fish.
Then, a few commenters posted their own photos of Captain Hook.
“HE WAS SO CUTE HE JUST SWAM BY OVER AND GREETED US,” a commenter said, while posting a photo of the fish.
@helloginadarling I have not stopped thinking about Captain Hook at @Aquarium of the Pacific 🦭 omg 😭😭😭 #animals #longbeachaquarium #cute
Do Pufferfish Really Pose For Photos?
While many viewers marveled at Captain Hook, others questioned why the pufferfish was so nice to begin with. Is it typical for a saltwater pufferfish to be so friendly?
There aren’t necessarily studies to prove that pufferfish are relatively loyal fish. But some hobbyists and pufferfish owners claim that pufferfish can recognize faces and that the fish has a level of intelligence, which makes it more curious and interested in people.
Outside of facial recognition, pufferfish are widely known for their geometric nest structures and mating habits. Male pufferfish drag their fins in the sand, creating incredibly intricate designs to attract mates that look like “underwater crop circles.” The complicated designs have led many to believe that the fish is more intelligent than meets the eye, although there is a biological explanation for the mating ritual.
BroBible reached out to Gina and to the Aquarium of the Pacific via email.